Song of Light
ADDA Alicante Symphony Orchestra
Benedict Klöckner, cello
Margarita Balanas, guest conductor
Mozart — Symphony No. 35 “Haffner”
Haydn — Cello Concerto in C major
Mendelssohn — Symphony No. 2 “Lobgesang” (“Hymn of Praise”)
INDIVIDUAL TICKET SALES: From 30 July 2026.
BENEDICT KLÖCKNER. Cello
Benedict Klöckner is today among the most distinguished cellists of his generation. A laureate of numerous international competitions, he enjoys an intense solo career with leading orchestras worldwide, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London, Deutsche Radiophilharmonie, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, Kremerata Baltica, MDR Symphony Orchestra, and Munich Chamber Orchestra.
Throughout his career, he has collaborated with conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Christoph Eschenbach, Michael Sanderling, Ingo Metzmacher, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Oana Mallwitz, Cristian Măcelaru, and Sir Simon Rattle.
His artistic presence has taken him to internationally renowned venues including the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall (New York), Kennedy Center (Washington), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Vienna Musikverein, Zurich Tonhalle, and Amsterdam Concertgebouw.
A regular guest at international festivals, he has shared stages with musicians including Emanuel Ax, Lisa Batiashvili, Gidon Kremer, and Anne-Sophie Mutter—solidifying a trajectory that combines solo performance, chamber music, and close collaboration with some of the world’s foremost musical institutions.
For over ten years, he has been founder and artistic director of the International Music Festival Koblenz (IMUKO).
During the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 seasons, his international schedule is especially prominent: performances at Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Berlin Philharmonie, Cologne Philharmonie, Zurich Tonhalle, Suntory Hall (Tokyo), Amsterdam Concertgebouw, as well as a return to New York’s Lincoln Center and debut with the NCPA Orchestra Beijing.
His recent discography includes the album *Dvořák* (Berlin Classics, 2024), recorded with Cristian Măcelaru, the Romanian Chamber Orchestra, and Danae Dörken; and Brahms sonatas with Yu Kosuge (Sony, 2023).
He has also recorded Bach’s complete cello suites. His recordings have received accolades including the OPUS Klassik Award and the Supersonic Award.
He studied at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe with Martin Ostertag and at the Kronberg Academy with Frans Helmerson and Gary Hoffman. He is currently professor at the École Normale de Musique de Paris.
He performs on the “Ex Maurice Gendron” cello, built by Francesco Ruggeri in 1680.
Committed to contemporary creation, he has premiered works by Wolfgang Rihm, Eun Hwa Cho, Eric Tanguy, and Dai Fujikura in major international concert contexts.
MARGARITA BALANAS. Guest Conductor
Latvian cellist and conductor Margarita Balanas has established herself as one of the most distinctive musicians of her generation, performing at Carnegie Hall, Berliner Philharmonie, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, Sydney Opera House, Fondation Louis Vuitton, and L’Auditori Barcelona.
She has received the Grand Music Prize of Latvia and performed as soloist with the Munich Philharmonic, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. She has appeared at festivals including the Dresdner Musikfestspiele, International Cello Festival Shanghai, Moritzburg Festival, and Radio France Occitanie Montpellier Festival.
She is an exclusive Decca Classics artist. Together with her sister, violinist Kristine Balanas, she recorded *Castillo Interior* by Pēteris Vasks. She has also collaborated closely with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi.
Balanas is a pioneering figure in orchestral conducting: the first woman symphonic conductor in Latvia, founder and director of ANONIMI Orchestra and Charity, and former assistant conductor to Paavo Järvi at the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich (2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons).
She plays the 1849 Charles-Adolphe Gand “Auguste Tolbecque” cello, loaned by The Little Butterfly Foundation—the very instrument used for the 1873 world premiere of Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1.
Born in Dobele, Latvia, without a family tradition in classical music, she began singing rock and roll with her family and busking on the streets with her brothers to help fund instruments and travel.
At age 15, she received a full scholarship to the Purcell School and later studied cello and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she was awarded the Bicentenary Scholarship.
Artistically mentored by Lynn Harrell and selected for Gautier Capuçon’s Cello Classe d’Excellence, she has traced an extraordinary path—from the streets of Latvia to the world’s greatest concert halls.